1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to the processing of municipal solid waste, and more particularly to a system and method for converting organic waste into methane for energy production or the production of other useful transportation fuel and chemical products.
2. Discussion of the Background
Waste disposal is an issue faced by nations across the world. In recent history, waste has primarily been disposed of in landfills, which require substantial land, engineering and environmental monitoring and management resources. Regulatory and political bodies, as well as generators of waste, are increasingly interested in reducing waste volumes, diverting wastes from landfills and incinerators while promoting the more sustainable use of waste products. It is therefore desirable to develop technologies that not only reduce the amount of landfilled and incinerated waste, but also to capture and use such material for beneficial purposes.
Recently, recycling and composting of residential and commercial waste materials has become a preferred way to reduce the amount of waste materials that would otherwise be directed to landfills. Although there is some variation among geographic regions, it has become common to recycle paper, metals, glass and plastic materials. More recently, organic materials such as green waste (e.g., tree and grass clippings) and food waste are being commercially composted for use as a soil amendment or occasionally utilized for the generation of methane gas. However, current compost practices produce products of limited commercial value, and the known techniques utilizing organic materials from a municipal waste stream in an anaerobic digestion process have failed to achieve consistent, high levels of methane production.
Thus, there currently exist deficiencies associated with waste processing, and, in particular, with organic waste processing.